(with video below) Every day, thousands of people use Amazon, eBay and PayPal to conduct simple sales transactions on the internet. This situation has opened the door for entrepreneurs of all stripes to make money from the comfort of their own home. But of course, where there is a business enterprise, there are scammers.

There are a couple of variations on the online auction shipment scam. The first involves a typical eBay/PayPal scam, in which buyers take advantage of a loophole in the PayPal policy. In this scam, the buyer requests that you ship the item to an address that is different from the one listed on the invoice. How does the scam work?

Since PayPal only recognizes the address listed on the invoice, the buyer can cancel the payment after you have sent the item and, since you sent it to a different address than that on the invoice, you have permanently lost your PayPal payment guaranteed protection.

In another variation, someone will purchase an item from your seller’s account on Amazon. They will receive the item and often leave you good feedback, making you assume the transaction is over and satisfactory to the buyer. You will then receive an email from Amazon stating that the buyer did not receive their merchandise. When you go to prove the customer did receive it and left good feedback, you will find the feedback has been removed. You are then stuck with a negative credit on your seller’s account after Amazon refunds the buyer their money.

How to avoid:

In the eBay/PayPal scenario, never ship to an address other than the one on the invoice. This will ensure your payment guarantee is not nullified. Also, get a tracking ID for any packages over $100 in value. It costs more at the post office, yes, but it will protect you in the long run.

In the Amazon scam, first, make sure to have a tracking ID on the package, as noted above. Secondly, send items with a signed return receipt request. Again, this costs a few extra dollars at the post office, but you have proof that the buyer received their item because they had to sign for it to take possession. Often this is all the proof Amazon requires, and it will prevent you from losing hundreds of dollars on high dollar items.

How to report:

Make your family and friends aware of this scam by sharing it on social media using the buttons provided. You can also officially report the scammers to the Federal Trade Commission using the link below:

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Week May 23-29, 2019

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